Harness-pad



(No Model.)

G. W. BROWN;

HARNESS PAD.

No. 556,915. P5555555 M51. 24, 1595.

Mr wdw 5 MM, MM

ANPREW B.GRANAM PMUTOMTMQWASHmGTON. D C,

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

HARNESS-PAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,915,

dated March 24, 1896.

Application filed August 26, 1395. Serial N0. 560,466. (No model.)

To osZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE WV. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Vest W'insted, in the county of Litchfield and State ofCOIlD60lTl0'Lll3,llEtV invented certain new and useful Improvements inHarness-Pads, of which the following is afull, clear, and exactdescription, whereby any one skilled in the artcan make and use thesame.

The object of my invention is to provide a device for use on harnessparts, whereby a free circulation of air may be had under the pad, andalso one that may be so changed at will as to prevent any part of thepad from restin gin con tact with any desired portion of the body of theanimal on which the device is used; and a further object of theinvention is to provide a device of this class that may be used toaccurately fit a harness part to any animal bymaking it conform to theshape of the animal on which it is used.

To this end my invention consists in the removable disks, in the specialconstruction of the pad, and in the details of the several parts makingup the device as a whole, as more particularly hereinafter described andpointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improvedpad. Fig. 2 is a detail edge view of a portion of a saddle cut insection and showing the pad and method of attaching the removable disks.Fig. 3 is a detail edge view of one of the interchangeable disks. Fig.4: is a detail bottom view of one of the felt bearing-pieces. Fig. fiisa detail perspective view of a socket-piece.

In the accompanying drawings my improvement is illustrated in connectionwith a harness-pad attached to or forming partof a sad dle, although thedevice is equally applicable to all harness parts in which a pad may beused to relieve the pressure or wearing action of a harness part,whether it be a saddle, breaststrap, breeching, collar, or the like.

In the accompanying drawings the letter 0. denotes the body part of thepad that is made of any comparatively soft material, as leather, havingsufficient substance to keep its general shape, as in the ordinary formof pad, and this body part is provided with straps b or like means ofattaching it to a saddle c or other harness part.

In those pads of this general class in the prior art in which the liningis made of a single piece, either of leather, or felt, or like material,and also in those devices where the inner surface of the pad has beendivided into sections with spaces between, a difficulty has beenexperienced in preventing galling and no proper means has been providedfor relieving any one particularspot from the directpressure of the pador its lining, except by the removal of a complete section of the widthof the pad.

In myimproved form of pad as illustrated herein the under surface isprovided with a series of disks, preferably circular in form and made ofan absorbent felt, these disks (Z being removably secured to the bodypart of the pad. In case a separate pad is not used the same disks maybe removablysecured to the under surface of a saddle or other harnesspart, which is provided with suitable socket-pieces and attaching means.

The preferred form of attaching means consists of a socket-piece cfirmly united, as by riveting, to the body part and having a threadedsocket c, into which the threaded end of a stem (1 on a rigid base-piece(Z of the disk extends, and by means of which the disk is removablysecured in place. Each disk, as illustrated, is made up mainly of a softand pliable bearing-surface secured, as by means of ce1nent,to the rigidbase-piece (Z ,preferably of metal, or it may be connected to the softbearing-surface of the disk by spinning the edge of the metal upward andinward so as to grasp the edge of the bearing-surface and hold itsecurely in place.

In its preferred form the top of the pad is made of enameled leather towhich the attacking-straps are secured, and the under surface or liningof the pad is made of smooth leather, preferably alum-tanned, therebeing held between these two layers just described a piece of firm andflexible material making up the foundation, to which are secured thesocketpieces receiving the threaded stem borne on the disks.

The disks are arranged at regular or irregular intervals along the undersurface of the pad, but in each case are so arranged as to leave betweenthem air-spaces, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, through which theair circulates When the pad is in use and serves to keep the skin cooland avoid sweating and scalding. The arrangement of the socketpieces issuch that the disks can be so placed same time leave out any disklocated in such a position as to press upon a sore spot. 13 y thisconstruction interchangeable disks are provided by means of which theharness part may be made to fit the back of any animal by the use ofdisks of dilferent thicknesses and thus prevent anymechaniealirritation.

B y the use of my improved harness-pad pro vided with a number ofinterchangeable disks a harness can be accurately fitted to the back ofany animal, and the harness can be used on an animal with comfort eventhough there be sore spots on the surface, since by removing one or moreof the disks all pressure and irritation are removed from the inflamedand ulcerated surface.

The removable disks, as will be seen by Fig. 1 of the drawings, are lessin diameter than the harness-pad in Width, and this enables them tobearranged in a great diversity of positions to accommodate anyparticular spot on the horse that it is desirable to avoid and at thesame time to afford some support for the harness partclose enough to theplace to quite evenly distribute the Weight. In prior pads havingremovable sections or disks they faceof the base-piece, removable diskswith attaching means fitting said sockets, each disk being made of feltsecured to a thin metal base and the said base'having its edges bentover and into the substance of the disk, all N substantially asdescribed.

8. In combination in a harness-pad, a basepiece, socket-pieces securedto the under sun face of the base -piece and each having a threadedsocket, removable diskseach less in diameter than the pad is in Widthand having a threaded stem fitting the socket in each socket-piece, anda soft bearing-surface, all substantially as described.

GEORGE IV. BROWN.

